TD Garden is the site for an enticing matchup as the Boston Bruins square off against the visiting New York Islanders. This Eastern Conference matchup gets going at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 29, and it can be viewed live on New England Sports Network.
New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins Odds
With a moneyline of -185, Boston heads into the matchup as the obvious favorite. The line for New York sits at +160 and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at an even 6 goals. The line for betting the total stands at -105 money on the over and -115 on the under.
The Bruins are 13-11 straight up (SU) and have disappointed moneyline bettors to the tune of -1.6 units so far. That early-season winning percentage is a regression from the 50-32 record that the team managed during last year’s regular season campaign. Out of the team’s 24 regular season contests, 16 of them have gone under the total, while seven have gone over and just one has pushed. The team’s 8-2 SU at home this year.
Boston currently has the third-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as it has scored on 28.9 percent of their extra-man chances this season. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 22nd overall, and it’s successfully killed off 77.3 percent of all penalties.
Boston, as a collective unit, has been penalized 4.4 times per game overall this season, and 2.8 per game over its past five contests. The team’s had to defend opposition power plays for just 5.6 minutes per game over its last five matchups, overall.
With a .936 save percentage and 28.3 saves per game, Jaroslav Halak (eight wins, seven losses, and two OT losses) has been the primary goalkeeper for the Bruins this season. If they choose to give him the evening off, however, Boston might go with Tuukka Rask (5-6-6 record, .913 save percentage, 2.72 goals against average).
David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron will both lead the charge for the Bruins. Pastrnak (28 points) has tallied 19 goals and nine assists and has recorded multiple points on six different occasions this year. Bergeron has nine goals and 17 assists to his name and has recorded a point in 12 games.
New York has earned moneyline bettors 5.5 units this year and is currently 12-11 straight up (SU). A total of 11 of its matches have gone under the total, while 10 have gone over and just two have pushed. As the road team, New York is 6-6 SU so far.
New York has converted on just 16.2 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that places it in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 21st overall and it’s successfully defended 77.6 percent of all opponent power plays.
New York’s skaters have been penalized 4.1 times per game this season, and 3.2 per game over their past five match ups. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays just 8.0 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Thomas Greiss (2.45 goals against average and .925 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for New York. Greiss is averaging 26.3 saves per game and has 10 wins, five losses, and one OT loss to his credit.
Josh Bailey (seven goals, 14 assists) has been one of the most vital playmaking threats for the visiting Islanders.
New York Islanders vs. Boston Bruins Free Picks
Free NHL Pick: SU Winner – Bruins, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes
The under has hit in four of Boston’s last five games.
Boston’s attempted 30.7 shots per contest overall this season (ranked 20th in the NHL), and 31.6 over their last 10 games.
The Bruins are 5-4 SU when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Islanders are 3-6 SU in games where they serve more minutes than the opposition.
Boston is ranked 7th in the league this season with 8.8 takeaways per game. That figure has trended lower recently, however, as it has averaged 7.4 takeaways over its last 10 games and 6.8 takeaways over its last five.
New York has managed 8.0 takeaways per game over its last five road games, an improvement over its season average of 6.3 takeaways per game (ranked 27th in the NHL).
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